Despite the freezing weather, the world of gaming is about to hot up as two of the most highly anticipated titles in recent times go head to head in the battle for open world supremacy. Both Grand Theft Auto V and Watch Dogs are set to be launched next year, but which will come out on top?

Grand Theft Auto has been the undisputed king of the open world sector since the first release in the series back in 1997. Over the years, there has been a steady flow of new Grand Theft Auto titles, with the most recent being the 10th anniversary release of Vice City on iOS and Android. Each new version has brought with it improved levels of gameplay, more innovations, and, of course, plenty of controversy. From the first day of its inception, the series has had to see off countless pretenders to its crown, such as Crazy Taxi and Deus Ex: Human Revolution. However, despite the hard road, GTA remains the most popular open world game available. The latest launch in the series, that of Grand Theft Auto V, is set to take place in the Spring of 2013, and the title is already available to pre-order. However, on the horizon looms the release of Watch Dogs, a title that is set to represent the biggest challenge yet to GTA’s accepted status as the king of the open world.

Watch Dogs

From the studio behind Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry comes Watch Dogs, and with company like that, it’s not difficult to see why the an Ubisoft Montreal developed game is being touted as a real threat to GTA V in the open world market. The title will be released sometime next year and is set to feature a huge map full of endless possibilities and alternative ways to complete the game. The idea of the game is direct the main protagonist, Aiden Pearce, through various mission, using his hacking, stealth and fighting skills to get through them. Along the way you can control almost the entire city in which the game is set, an alternate reality version of Chicago, by commandeering various devices the Pearce is able to hack into.

Strengths and Weaknesses

From the early release footage of the two games, it looks like the struggle for top dog is going to be very tight. One area where the battle may be won and lost is when it comes to cruising the streets in cars. In game footage of Watch Dogs appears to demonstrate a slight weakness in this area for the Ubisoft title, whereas GTA is famous for its great driving simulator experience. However, what is really going to decide things is simply whether people prefer the well versed dark humour of the GTA series, or the more serious, conspiracy led plotline of Watch Dogs, something that will only become clear upon the release of the two games. Needless to say both of these titles have come a long way since the likes of open world games such as Crazy Taxi.

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